Making Circles
by The Creative Muse
Summary: While on their "romantic vacation" to Italy, Eliot and Erin are trying to work on their relationship and run into an ex-girlfriend/coworker-of-sorts of Eliot's. This makes their trip a bit more interesting than either of them bargained for. Alternate timeline. Eliot/OC. Story 2 in the Different Kind of Knight series.
1. Loving You Easy

Chapter 1

Loving You Easy

.~~~~~~~.

 _"You make all my screws come loose  
Got me perfectly confused  
Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild  
I love the way you make me lose my mind"_

-Brett Eldredge, "Lose My Mind"

.~~~~~~~.

" _Signore e signori_ , ladies and gentlemen, we are entering Italian airspace now," the flight attendant said over the intercom, "Please fasten your seat belts and put your trays and seats in the upright position. We will be landing in Venice shortly."

A surge of excitement coursed through Erin Summers and she turned in her seat to face Eliot.

That smug grin on his face almost made her want to slap him, but thoughts of at least two weeks, with him - in _Italy -_ ran through her mind and she couldn't help but grin uncontrollably. Not only had she been pleasantly surprised at what their destination was, she'd also never had a seat in first class. When they'd been going through security and customs in Cincinnati, Eliot had finally handed her the plane ticket and she had nearly died of excitement. She'd never been to Italy before. And he knew it.

"What are we going to do first, after we land?" She asked him, leaning toward him expectantly.

His smile faltered a little as the plane jolted, "Whatever you want to, darlin'," he winked at her, "I was plannin' on testing out the king size bed in our hotel room."

Blushing, she looked away as he laughed.

"What'd you think I'd say, honestly?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "It's always sex with you, isn't it?"

"I haven't heard any complaints in that department," he smiled at her, but she could see his attention was diverted as the plane began to make it's descent. He was looking around at the other passengers, and the flight attendants, no doubt making sure no one looked suspicious.

"Relax, El, we're on vacation," she spoke quietly, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, "I doubt anyone on here is out to get you."

Glancing at her, he offered a slight smile, "I'm keepin' an eye on everything at all times. How else do you think I've made it this long?"

Her heart dropped at his words. "Well, now you've gone all serious," she frowned at him, "I know you're always watchful, but you need to be able to enjoy yourself sometimes, too, you know."

He nodded. "I know. And I do, whenever I'm with you." He lifted her hand to kiss the top of it and she blushed again.

"You're such a charmer."

"You know it," he drawled.

.~~~~~~~.

As they got off the plane, Eliot immediately tensed. He hated being surrounded so closely by so many people. He followed directly behind Erin, his hand on her lower back, gently keeping her moving.

Grateful as he was that he'd talked her into packing only one carry-on, he regretted telling her just how long they'd be staying.

"What'd you pack?" he growled as he swung both bags over his good shoulder, "Bricks?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, "Not enough clothes for more than two weeks, in case you were wondering."

"Well, we can buy you some nice new clothes if it gets to that point," he smiled and winked at her, "But I don't expect we'll be wearin' much while we're here."

He laughed as she turned a deep shade of red, her dark hair falling in front of her face. They exited the airport and Eliot cast a glance around, before hailing a cab to take them to their destination. As the cab pulled up to a boat dock, Erin's eyes snapped to look at him.

"Where are we going exactly?" She demanded.

Eliot only smiled while he paid the driver and grabbed his and Erin's bags. "Nowhere special."

"We have to take a boat to get there," Erin's eyes narrowed at him, "And you're telling me that it's 'nowhere special'."

He laughed. "Have some patience, sweetheart."

Guiding her to a waiting boat, he helped her on board, only smiling at her continued questioning looks. It was a short ride before they reached what appeared to be a private boat dock on a rather large island. Almost half of the island was taken up by a fancy-looking, older style hotel building which was surrounded by lush gardens and antique statues.

"We're staying _here_?" Erin stared up at the hotel.

"Yeah, darlin'."

"But it looks so expensive," she looked at him, "El?"

He smiled, "Don't worry about it. I've got it taken care of."

Her brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before she turned to take in the scenery. Eliot followed her off the boat, smiling at her wide-eyed awe.

"Good afternoon, _signore_ , _signora_ ," a young clean cut man dressed in a tailored suit met them at the dock, " _Benvenuti_ _a_ _San Clemente Palace_. Please, let me take your bags."

"I'll hold onto them, thanks," Eliot replied quickly.

The man nodded and turned on his heel. " _Per favore_ , follow me. I will show you into the hotel."

Erin's hand slid into Eliot's and he smiled at her, "Let the vacation begin."

"I can't believe this place, El," she grinned at him, "It's all so beautiful, so, so… I can't even..."

He laughed, "We can explore the island later," he told her, "I want to get settled into our room first."

She just nodded and he watched as she took in the sights of the island. Walking up the marble steps and through the large ornate doors, they stepped into what seemed like another world entirely. The lobby was as beautifully decorated as the grounds had been, everything in pristine condition.

A professionally dressed young woman met them near the front desk, smiling warmly.

" _Buon pomeriggio_ , good afternoon, do you have a reservation, _Signore_ …?"

Eliot smiled, "Williams, ma'am, but you can call me Trent."

The woman serenely covered a giggle, turning to grab a book from the desk. "Trent Williams and… Erin Summers?"

"Yes, that's us," Erin took Eliot's hand, giving it a squeeze so hard he nearly flinched.

He cleared his throat, forcing his smile to remain on his face as he cast a quick glance in Erin's direction. What was her problem?

The woman looked up at them, keys in hand. "Follow me."

"Are you okay?" he murmured to Erin as they followed the woman to their room.

"Just peachy," she replied shortly.

"Erin, what's wrong?"

She glared up at him, "Nothing."

He stopped short, grabbing her arm. "Are you jealous or somethin'?"

"What, I'm not allowed to be?" she countered, pulling her arm out of his grasp, "Are we together or not _Trent_? Because if you keep on making eyes at anything and everything with boobs, we're gonna have a problem."

He frowned, shocked. "Seriously?"

"You think I don't notice?" she whispered, stepping closer to him, her green eyes flashing, "I know how you are. The flight attendants, this girl..."

"Erin, I-" he looked at her, confused, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry."

Shit. He wasn't good at this crap. How was he supposed to know every little thing that would tip her off?

Sighing, she looked away from him. "No, I'm sorry, El. I shouldn't have exploded like that. I know you don't mean anything, I mean, you're a guy, it's like asking you to change your genetic code." She glanced up and he saw tears brimming in her eyes.

"That's no excuse, Erin," he whispered, pulling her close, "Obviously it upsets you. I'll do my damnedest to change it, okay?"

She shook her head, smiling as she swiped at her eyes. "No. Don't change, El. I love you."

He smiled back and kissed her forehead, "I love you too."

Keeping his arm around her, he turned to catch up to the hotel woman.

"Oh my God, Eliot," Erin flitted around their hotel suite, staring out the windows and admiring every little thing, "This place is amazing!"

He smiled at her, dropping their bags on the small couch in the bedroom. "No one will bother us here, since it's on its own island."

Letting out a contented sigh, she stepped into his arms, her face radiating pure joy as she looked up at him.

"I can't believe this," she breathed, "I've never been anywhere so beautiful."

He kissed her softly, one finger under her chin, "First things first, darlin'," his lips brushed her ear as whispered to her, "I was plannin' on testing out this whole room with you."

As her face turned bright red, she opened her mouth to respond, but his lips claimed hers in a hot kiss. After they "tested" the king-sized bed, they "tested" the luxurious walk-in shower and then Eliot left her to take a bath while he attempted to relax on the balcony.

The sun was beginning to set over the water when he heard the soft foot falls approaching from the balcony doors. Smiling at her, he opened his eyes.

"I'll never be able to sneak up on you will I?" she asked, taking a seat across from him.

"Not if I can help it," he responded instantly. With a sigh, he stretched, holding back a wince as his arm twisted slightly. "If you ever do that, it means others can too and that means the end for me."

Standing, she crossed to him and sat at the foot of his lounge chair.

"Has anyone ever been able to?" She asked quietly, her face serious, "Sneak up on you?"

"Once," he looked her in the eye, "That's how I got this." He motioned to the scar on his left eyebrow.

She frowned, gently reaching her hand to touch his face. "What about all the other ones, the other scars? Don't tell me those just come with the job."

Grunting, he sat up straight, pulling her into his arms, "But they do, darlin'. Every single one I got from doing my job, one way or another."

Her lips brushed his cheek, "Well, try not to get more of them. You've got just enough to be sexy, any more and I might not like you."

"Really?" His eyebrow rose, and in an instant he had her on her back on the chair. "You think I'm "sexy", huh?"

"Always," she giggled, weakly attempting to push him away.

.~~~~~~~.

Erin woke up to darkness. She was in an unfamiliar bed and a strange silence met her ears. After a heartbeat of panic, her brain registered where she was and she relaxed back on the pillows with a smile. Rolling over, her smile faded when she felt the empty space next to her on the bed, it wasn't even warm. She looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her.

 _3:47._

In the _morning_?

With quickened breath, she clambered from between the soft sheets and pulled on her bathrobe Eliot had tossed aside the night before. She looked around the dim room and opened her mouth to call his name, when she noticed the curtains at the balcony doors moving ever so slightly. Approaching the doors slowly, she brushed aside a curtain to peer out into the dark.

A lone, pale silhouette stood out against the darker sky, so still anyone else might not have noticed.

She smiled to herself and pushed the door open just enough to squeeze through. The nighttime wind hit her and she pulled the robe tighter around herself. She stood for a moment, watching him. He was against the railing of the balcony, eyes closed as the wind whipped his hair around his face. He looked so peaceful and calm, but she knew he was on full alert. He always was.

"You should still be sleeping." He spoke just loudly enough for her to hear him, not even turning his head or opening his eyes.

She stepped closer to him, leaning next to him to look out over the ocean. Stars glistened in the sky, their reflections sparkling on the water as waves crashed over the rocks along the coast of the island. The very distinctive scent of salt water filled her nose. Smiling at her previous thought, she realized that she definitely had been around him too long.

"Time difference has my brain all screwy," she replied, shivering slightly as the sea breeze picked up.

Warm arms encircled her, drawing her against his body, his bare torso creating a strong buffer from the wind.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping, too, El?" She asked, stifling a yawn against his chest.

She felt his lips brush her forehead as he held her. "You know I don't sleep much," he offered quietly after a moment of silence, "Besides, a little fresh Italian air is a great way to relax after a long flight."

Smiling, she looked up at him, catching a flash of white as he smiled down at her. She opened her mouth to say something, but a yawn came out instead.

He chuckled and kissed her, "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Gently, he guided her back into the hotel room before turning to close and lock the balcony doors. She watched him as he stood in front of the glass, staring out at the night.

Tossing her robe aside once more, she slid under the sheets, pulling them tightly around her as the chill hit her again. "Are you coming?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah." He turned from the door, letting the curtains fall back into place as he approached the bed.

"Everything okay, El?"

Smiling, he slid next to her into the bed. "Everything's fine, darlin'."

With his arm securely around her waist, she drifted back off to sleep.

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and holding Erin as she slept. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had to go wrong. Everything was just too perfect. Here he was, in bed with a beautiful woman he loved, in Italy of all places, the epitome of romance. But it all seemed too easy, this kind of luck never happened to men like him. Not for long, at least.

Erin's earlier outburst both surprised and concerned him. He did look at every girl, she was right about that, but it wasn't as if he had any experience with relationship shit like this. How was he supposed to know what was considered out of bounds or not? She was obviously insecure, and with good reason. Hell, it wasn't as if he knew what he was doing with this kind of stuff and with all the crap he was hiding from her…. Silently cursing, he swore to himself that he'd try harder, for her if for no other reason. God knew she deserved to be happy.

As Erin shifted in her sleep, moving closer to him and muttering nonsense under her breath, he smiled.

Screw his paranoia. Screw the stereotypical bullshit that men like him could never catch a break. Erin had been right on the plane, he needed to relax and enjoy himself. And now was as good a time as any to do just that. Maybe he'd actually get some real sleep.

.~~~~~~~.

Erin heard his voice, low and steady, speaking quietly to someone. But she only heard his side of the conversation.

"Yeah, I know it's been a while," he was saying, "No, she's got no idea, I'd like to keep it that way for as long as we can."

Her heart stopped. No. This _so_ was not happening to her. He couldn't have someone else, some other woman waiting for him here? Was that the real reason he'd wanted to come here? And she was just the excuse he needed to come to Italy…

"Uh-huh, yeah," he was still talking, "Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll see you later then."

Blinking back the tears that burned her eyes, she rolled over, facing away from him as he climbed back into bed next to her.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean to wake you."

She didn't answer.

He moved closer to her and she ignored him.

"Erin?" she heard the concern in his voice, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she muttered.

There was a moment of silence.

"Erin, talk to me please."

She refused to look at him. The bed shifted and then he was in front of her, kneeling on the floor.

"What's the matter, darlin'?"

She shook her head, flinching away when he reached for her hand. The confusion, the hurt on his face, didn't escape her and she felt a little twinge in her heart as she watched him.

He let out a long sigh and stood, looking away.

"Fine," he whispered.

"You're leaving me," she murmured, sniffing back tears.

" _What?!_ " His head snapped to her, eyes wide, honest shock written all over his face. "Why the hell would you think that?"

"I heard you just now, on the phone."

He stared at her for a moment and then he smiled slightly, shaking his head. "That's not what that was at all."

"So, you weren't talking to another woman?" She asked, cursing herself for the tremble in her voice.

"Hell, no. I was talking to a guy."

She relaxed and then his words sank in and she stared at him, her mouth open slightly.

"Shit! No!" Eliot sputtered, running a hand over his face which was now beet red, "God, Erin, that's not what I meant!"

Sitting up, she pulled the sheets up over her chest and looked him directly in the eye.

"Then what was it, El?"

He broke her gaze and sat down next to her with a sigh. "I didn't wanna tell you," he said quietly, glancing at her, "Don't want you to worry about me."

It was her turn to be confused, but she let him continue.

"That was my friend Marco on the phone," he told her, "He lives near Rome. I haven't seen him in a long time."

She nodded, "So, what's this big secret you don't want to tell me?"

"There's two reasons I wanted to go on this trip, Erin."

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, her earlier anger returning, "I knew there was something going on."

Scowling, he shook his head, "Just listen to me, alright?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded once, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Marco is an old friend from when I, well, uh, from before," he cleared his throat, "He's into natural medicine, homeopathy and all that. He practices Ayurvedic medicine as well, herbal remedies and meditation. I, uh," he looked down for a brief moment and when his eyes turned back to her, she could have sworn there was a very real fear there.

"I need help, Erin," he continued, "I can barely move my arm some days. I've tried everything I can think of. Marco's my only option left."

He smiled then and took her hand, "But, of course, my main reason behind this trip is to spend as much time as I possibly can with you, sweetheart," he kissed her fingers, "Visiting Marco is a side note, if we can manage the trip. I really wanna focus on you," he leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a husky whisper as that old southern drawl kicked in, "Every single inch of you."

Giggling, she pulled the sheets tighter as he moved closer. She knew there was more going on inside that head of his, but right now she didn't want to push it. He'd tell her eventually.


	2. She's Got A Way

Chapter 2

She's Got A Way

.~~~~~~~.

 _"Cause when you got love, like we got love  
I'm holding onto heaven holding on to you  
When you got one, like I got one  
Any way you looking it's a hell of a view."_

-Tim McGraw, _Top of the World_

.~~~~~~~.

"El, we've been here four days already," Erin sat up to look at Eliot, "Are we going to do anything besides stay in our room and have sex?"

Eliot grinned, leaning in close to kiss her neck, "I thought that's what vacations were for.

Giggling, she gently pushed him away, "I'm not complaining, but I figured we'd want to actually see the sights."

"I've got all the sights I need to see right here," he drawled.

She blushed as she saw the intensity in his eyes. Oh, who was she kidding? She enjoyed this just as much as he did. Sighing happily, her eyes fluttered closed while his lips brushed her skin.

Suddenly, a phone rang loudly, echoing throughout the room.

"Shit," Eliot rolled away from her and got up.

She sighed, "Can't it wait?"

He shook his head, frowning. "I only gave the team and Syd this number," picking up the phone, he flipped it open, "Spencer."

She watched his concern turn immediately to irritation.

"Dammit, Parker, I told Nate only emergencies!" He paused, "You want input on _what_? A date? With Hardison? Geez…" He let out a sigh, sitting back down on the side of the bed, "How the hell should I know a good date idea for you two?" Another pause, "I don't know, Parker. You both like pizza, why don't you go out to a pizza place? You don't want to go out. Okay…"

Erin could see him thinking for a moment, "Alright, order pizza to be delivered and then you can set up a blanket on the roof of my condo building. It's nice and open up there. Once it's dark, you can see past all the city lights and count the stars," he smiled, "You're welcome, Parker."

Parker said something that made Eliot glance at Erin, "She's fine, thanks. Yes, we're together, Parker," he rolled his eyes, "Okay, I'll tell her. Now, don't call me again unless it's actually an emergency. No, trying to find a good date idea is not an emergency, and just because I've been on a lot of 'em doesn't mean I know everything." He chuckled and hung up the phone, shaking his head.

"You're so sweet with her, you know," Erin smiled at him.

He looked at her, something close to embarrassment on his face, "Someone has to be. She may be insane, but she's _my_ insane. Like another kid sister, except with a lot more issues."

Erin laughed, "Yeah, sounds about right."

Tossing his phone aside, he slid next to her, "Now, where were we? Right about here, I think."

She yelped as he kissed the bare skin on her shoulder, his hand running down her side causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. She could feel her face turning red and she looked away. The bed sheet suddenly seemed to be so transparent, as if those bright blue eyes were burning holes right through it. Squeaking, she buried herself under the covers, but he found her like he always did. And she let him. Her squeak turned into a giggle which then turned into a moan of pleasure as he kissed her hotly. They could always go out later…

.~~~~~~~.

 _He was running as fast and as silent as was possible through the dense undergrowth of the forest. Branches tugged at the long sleeves of his black jacket while leaves whipped at his face, slapping him with warm wetness from the constant Korean rain. His half-drugged brain saw the trees as eerily tall people reaching their long dead arms toward him, as he ran in the darkness. He knew they were still behind him, getting closer as each labored step he took jarred his injured leg._

 _Slipping down a slight slope, he nearly fell in the mud, but managed to catch himself on a protruding tree stump. Clambering back to his feet, he slid a little further down toward the bottom of the hill. The sounds of running water reached his ears, a welcome refuge against the soldiers and dogs still coming for him. He slid into the water, bracing himself against the icy chill that spread through him._

 _The soldiers were gaining on him, of that he was keenly aware, and he forced himself to remain calm, to ease his rapidly beating heart. Sloshing through the water, he headed upstream, toward his unit's rendezvous point. He knew he was behind schedule, two minutes to be exact, and that meant he only had three minutes to get there before his men left without him._

 _A twig snapped off to his left and he turned, searching against the dark trees. There it was, a lone silhouette slightly darker against the treeline. With a barely audible curse, his heart racing faster than before, he clutched his hunting knife tightly in his hand. Dogs barked in the distance and in an instant the figure by the trees disappeared, as if it had never existed at all._

 _Suddenly, a strong hand gripped his arm. On instinct he turned, circling his arm around his assailant's neck in an immediate chokehold and pressing the blade of his knife to the other man's throat._

 _"Make a sound and I'll kill ya," he whispered, a low growl emanating from him._

 _"El, don't," the attacker gasped, struggling against his iron grip, "It's me. It's Shelley."_

 _He didn't release the other man, instead tightening his hold. The drugs were still wearing off and with everything going on in his head, he couldn't be sure who this really was._

 _"Please," the other man managed to murmur, the grip on his arm weakening, "El, stop."_

.~~~~~~~.

At some point during the night, Erin was startled awake by Eliot tossing about in bed next to her. His eyes were twitching underneath their lids, his breath coming quick and panicked through his nose.

"Eliot?" She reached for his arm, gently touching him in an attempt to wake him from an obvious nightmare. In an instant, she found herself in a strong viselike chokehold, iron muscles pressed around her neck.

"El, don't," she managed to gasp out, struggling against his grip. "It's me."

His arm only tightened around her throat and she coughed.

"Please, El, _stop_." The room was beginning to go dark, she was seeing stars and her breath was all but scarce.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, panicked and confused. He let go of her immediately and instantly sat back, horror and fear clear as day on his face.

" _Fuck_ , Erin, I," he stammered, unable to look at her, "I'm so fucking sorry, I didn't mean, are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

She nodded quickly, coughing as she sucked in air, "'m okay," she whispered hoarsely. She could see the terror and uncertainty in his eyes.

"Shit..." he jumped from the bed, running out of the room quicker than she'd seen him move in a long time.

With a frown, she got up and slowly followed him out into the sitting room. He was walking toward her, watching as she sat on the couch, before he began to pace back and forth. Every few seconds he would glance at her, but wouldn't meet her eyes.

"El."

It hurt to even whisper, but she wouldn't tell him that. He was obviously scared enough already.

"Please, stop," she murmured, "Come. Sit."

He did as she instructed, silently sitting arm's length from her on the couch.

"I'm not mad at you, Eliot," she reached for his hand, but he shrank away from her touch. "You were having a nightmare, I should have remembered how you react when woken from one."

"That's no excuse," he whispered, tortured blue orbs turning to stare at her. "Don't downplay this, Erin. You should be fucking scared out of your mind right now, not acting like I didn't do anything."

She took his hand in hers, feeling him shaking more than she had ever witnessed before.

"This isn't the first nightmare you've had and I know it won't be the last," she smiled softly, "I've seen this side of you before, El, I should have known better than to wake you like I did. Just remember, I'm not scared of you and I'll always be here for you."

Looking at her again, he shook his head, "You _should_ be scared. That nightmare... I could have _killed_ you."

"But you didn't," she smiled again, squeezing his hand gently, "And you just admitted to actually having a nightmare, so that's a step."

She coughed suddenly, wincing as it burned her throat. The sound of a kettle whistling caused him to jump to his feet and run off again. He returned a few moments later with a steaming mug of tea.

"Thank you," she whispered, sipping on the tea.

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot merely nodded, watching Erin as she drank the warm liquid. His mind was running a mile a minute, hating himself for what he'd done and how he hadn't been able to control himself. Cursing under his breath, he moved to stand again, but her hand on his wrist stopped him.

Instinct told him to walk away, to go find something to punch and then a place to meditate and possibly even consider leaving her all over again... but his heart made him stop in his tracks.

"I can't promise this won't happen again, darlin'," he murmured, "And I can't promise that I won't possibly do something far, far worse at some point."

"I understand, Eliot, more than you realize."

He stared at her, blinking back the shock that he was sure showed on his face. "But, I... you... why would you want to stay with me, with _this_?"

"Because I love you, and I know you're bigger than all this."

He let out a long breath, glancing away briefly, "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I, um, I don't know what else to say or what I can do to make this right. I feel like shit."

As she opened her mouth to reply, she coughed again and took another sip of tea.

"I'm so so _very_ sorry," he knelt in front of her, taking her hands after she set down her cup. "I can't tell you how terrible I feel about this."

Reaching a hand out, she touched his cheek gently, "I'll be fine, El."

Another round of coughing hit her and Eliot stood, picking her up with a grunt of pain and carrying her back to bed. He tucked her in and, after bringing her a fresh cup of tea, just sat next to her, waiting for her to fall back asleep.

"El?" she spoke quietly, voice slurring sleepily, "Stay with me."

He hesitated, desperately wanting to take her in his arms and never let her go, but also wanting to run away as fast as he could.

"Don't be scared," she whispered.

He smiled slightly, "Just rest, darlin', you can talk in the morning."

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot woke with a start. The night before was a jumbled mess in his head, but that wasn't what had his heart racing upon waking up.

Erin's space on the bed was empty.

Panic set in and he jumped out of bed, landing on his feet almost silently. Looking around, she was nowhere to be seen. The bedroom was empty. He reached for the knife under his pillow, holding it firmly in his hand as he tiptoed through the room.

Running water sounded from the bathroom and then cut off suddenly. As he approached the bathroom door, Erin stepped out, wrapped in a robe, hair still wet from the shower.

She squealed in surprise when she saw him, hand on her chest, "God, Eliot, you scared me!"

He stepped back, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He couldn't believe he'd let this happen. Even after everything from the night before, he'd actually fallen into an amazingly deep sleep for the first time in over a decade. So deep he hadn't even noticed that Erin had gotten out of bed. This was not good.

"Are you okay?" she asked, softly, "You look freaked out."

He nodded, lowering the knife he had in his hand. "Yeah, I, um… we need to talk."

She frowned, "What's wrong?"

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. He knew this was all his paranoia, but they needed to discuss this nonetheless.

"Come over here and sit down."

She did as he instructed, sitting at the end of the bed as he began pacing back and forth, twitching the knife to and fro in his fingers.

"What's the matter, El, you're scaring me."

Looking at the knife still in his hand, he set it down on the side table and stopped pacing to face her.

"We need to come up with a plan. I freaked out just now because you weren't in bed next to me. I thought," he cleared his throat, "I thought something had happened to you. Just in case something does happen, we need to have safety measures in place."

She watched him, unblinking.

He stepped closer to her, looking her directly in the eye. "Erin, you told me before we left that you're willing to do whatever it takes to make this work, to be with me. And, after last night…"

"That hasn't changed," she interrupted.

He nodded, only slightly relieved at her interjection. "This is something you'll have to get used to. Making plans, having back-ups, and then back-ups for the back-ups. I've done a lot of shit and have a lot of people who want me out of the picture. If something happens to me, you need an emergency plan."

She continued to stare at him and he only saw patient willingness in those deep emerald eyes.

"Whatever it takes, Eliot," she said definitively, "Teach me what to do."

He smiled then, the heavy weight of nervous indecision lifting from his shoulders.

"You have that phone I gave you before we got on the plane."

She nodded.

"It's a burner. Untraceable. It has Nate and myself on speed dial and it is only to be used in emergencies."

He pulled a chair over to the bed and sat, leaning forward and taking her hands in his.

"If something happens to me, and you don't hear from me for more than one hour, call Nate. You call him on your way to the American Embassy, it's right in town here. Once you're there, tell them you need to get back to the States, Nate will give you whatever info you need to make it happen. After you call him, toss the phone. Destroy it."

He paused, taking a breath.

"Don't look for me. Don't ask about me. Don't even say my name. If anyone even begins to think that you have any connection at all with Eliot Spencer, you'll never be able to leave."

Watching her face as he spoke, he saw the obvious mixture of fear and acknowledgement there. "Any questions so far?"

"Just one. Why the hell didn't you tell me all this before we left?" Her eyes flashed with irritation, "I should have known all this days ago so we could have planned accordingly."

He laughed humorlessly, "And here I thought you'd be pissed about all this."

"Well I'm just mildly pissed that you're only talking to me now."

Kissing her hand, he smiled as he continued, "Erin, I love you and I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about all this sooner. But now that I have, we can move forward with a plan."

He made her repeat back to him the instructions he'd told her, then again a second time and a third until she became agitated.

"You have to know it like the back of your hand," he told her, "And don't even think about taking anything with you. Nothing we have here is worth you risking anything for. Got it?"

"I get it," she sighed and then frowned thoughtfully, "El, what if something doesn't happen to _you_ …" she paused and looked up at him, "What if something happens to _me_? What do we do then?"

He paled, his jaw clenching as he glanced away. He hadn't wanted to think about that possibility, but the fact that she had brought it up meant that her head was definitely in the right place for all this.

"El?"

"It depends on the situation, Erin," he replied, looking at her again, "There are several possibilities of things kidnappers will do. They could just want money or a trade." He took a breath and continued quietly, "They might kill you quick, or they may make it last. I… I don't know what to tell you, honestly, my responses are far different than yours would be."

Reaching out a hand, she gently touched his face, a half smile lifting her lips. "Thank you for being honest with me, Eliot. The more information I have, the easier it'll be for me to deal with something if it happens."

His breath faltered slightly, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

"I can't ask you to promise anything," he murmured, "You can't know how you'll react to things until you're in that specific situation." He took her face in his hands, "And I swear to you, if anything does happen, I'll do whatever it takes to get you back."

"Don't you dare give up your own life for me, Eliot Spencer. You know I wouldn't be able to live without you."

The force in her voice surprised him and made him smile. He kissed her deeply, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I love you so much, sweetheart. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're willing to work with this."

She looked up at him, that signature smirk on her face trying to hide the wetness in her eyes. "Well, I can't let you have all the crazy adventures now, can I?"

"Just don't forget everything I told you," he said, "I expect you to be able to repeat it in your sleep."

Sticking her tongue out at him, she stepped back slightly, "I've got it, El, don't worry."

"I'll always worry, darlin', it's part of my job. Now," he held her at arm's length, "What do you say we go check out the tourist spots around here?"

She scowled at him, "Really? You tell me all this about emergency plans and then you want me to go out in public without freaking out?"

"There's no reason to freak out. I've got you."

Smiling, she kissed him quickly, "Fine, but let me at least put some clothes on."

He winked at her, "You brought your bathing suit, right?"

"Oooh, are we going to the beach?!"

Laughing at her excitement, he shook his head as she dashed off to get dressed. Sure she had good reason to be paranoid, but at least she knew the reality of his daily life. Or some of it, anyway. And she was willing to work with it. That was something.


	3. Remind Me I'm Alive

Chapter 3

Remind Me I'm Alive

.~~~~~~~.

 _"Pain  
_ _Come alive  
_ _I try to breathe, shade my eyes  
_ _Follow the damned, I have lost the way again  
_

 _So I'll stay unforgiven  
_ _And I'll keep love together  
_ _And I'll be yours forever  
_ _I'll sleep close to Heaven"_

Breaking Benjamin, "Close to Heaven"

.~~~~~~~.

Erin looked at Eliot excitedly, "Are we just going to the beach, or can we look at other touristy things, too?"

He smiled, but she could tell it wasn't genuine, "Whatever you want to do, darlin'."

Grinning, she took his hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "Try and relax a little, El."

"I'll try," he said, "For you, sweetheart." He winked.

Rolling her eyes, she looked out toward the approaching coastline. She knew he was preoccupied. If their earlier conversation was any indication, he was usually preoccupied _all_ the time with everything that was going on in his head. Looking at him, she watched his eyes as they cast to and fro, always moving from one point to the next.

With a sigh and slight frown, she tried to emulate his actions, searching the coast and the other boats around them, trying to see what he saw. Nothing seemed odd to her, but then again, she didn't know exactly what she was looking at and it wasn't as if she knew what was normal for Italy anyway.

"You tryin' to be me now."

It was more of a statement than a question and she narrowed her eyes at him, giving him an annoyed glare. "Maybe. I just, with our conversation earlier, I thought maybe I should learn to look at the world the way you do."

Darkness covered his face before quickly passing and he shook his head slightly. "I don't wish that on anyone. I'm far too jaded. But," he raised a hand to stop her from speaking, "I know what you meant. So, I guess we can start Hitter Lesson Number One: Basic Recon."

Her forehead knit together in confusion. ""Basic Recon"?"

He nodded, stepping off the boat as it stopped and reaching a hand down to help her out. "Look around you, take your time. Then tell me what you see."

"Okay." She scanned the harbor, counting the small boats like the one they'd come in on, the bigger ships, the people, there was even a small cart pulled by an old mule. But she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, what specific things he would notice that she wasn't picking up on.

"Alright, talk to me, Erin."

"There's five smaller boats like ours, only two bigger ships," she told him, "I counted eleven other people on the docks besides us and then there's that cart and mule over there."

He nodded. "That's a good start. Are you sure there's nothing else you want to mention?"

Frowning, she shook her head. "No."

"Your counts were correct. But, you missed some crucial details," clearing his throat slightly, he continued, "What's the name of the boat next to the one we were on?"

She blinked. "I don't know."

"Okay, what about the color of the dock worker's shirt who just walked past us?"

"I don't know... blue?"

He turned to face her, "What about the sailor behind me? That old man wearing the long coat. What's special about him?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "Just tell me, El, because obviously I don't pay attention to the right things."

Smiling, he took her hand and continued walking, " _Dulce Maria_ is the name of the boat and there's a single rose painted next to the name. The dock worker's shirt was dark red with golden yellow stitching and a hole on his left elbow. And that old sailor has been watching us intently since before we got to the dock, he also has a long pipe in his mouth, but there's no smoke coming from it."

"And those two over there," he nodded his head slightly off to their right, "They're doing a shady deal of some kind."

She frowned, "How do you notice all that so quickly? All those details?"

He shrugged his good shoulder, "Been doin' it for over twenty years. It's second nature by now."

"Okay, well, what are the key things to pay attention to, then? Because obviously what I remembered barely scratched the surface."

"You have to see beyond the surface," he explained, "Pay attention to the little things, even things you might not think are important. Those details could save your life. For example, the boat the _Dulce Maria_ , we know it's here at the dock. We also know there's a couple guys pulling a deal of some kind nearby. If something happens and one of the men is gone and so is the boat, then we know that either one of them owned it, or there are people on that boat who were watching those men."

As she looked around again, she nodded slowly, "Alright, what about that mule and cart? I feel like I should be noticing more than I am…"

He smiled, "Yep. Look more closely. What about the mule itself stands out to you? A country girl like yourself should pick up on it."

"It's back leg," she told him, after a moment, "Normally if a horse, or mule in this case, is relaxed enough it'll rest it's back leg. But he's standing at attention. Also his ears are turned toward those two guys," she grinned as she continued, "He's paying attention to those guys because he senses that there's something fishy going on there."

Eliot chuckled slightly, "See, you're picking up quick."

"What's next?" She looked up at him expectantly, "What else can I learn?"

"Nothin' right now," he gently squeezed her hand, "Just enjoy the sights of the city, darlin'."

They entered the marketplace and Erin looked around. "There are so many bright colors and everything looks so… fresh and amazing!"

"Welcome to Italy," he smiled.

Wandering through the stalls for a little while, Erin insisted that Eliot buy her a sun hat to match her swimsuit since she couldn't bear to get her face burned while they were on their vacation, could she? Eliot obliged willingly, also purchasing a handmade bracelet from a young girl who was weaving bits of rope scraps together.

"Are you still observing?" Eliot asked.

Erin nodded as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.

"Tell me what you see. Remember, there's no wrong answer. Everything you notice is important."

"Well, that stand over there, the one with all the fruit, the owner seemed more than a little bit uncomfortable. He was sweating a lot and constantly dabbing at his forehead with a dirty handkerchief." She paused, "Also, there were three teenagers standing at the corner back there, next to where that older man was selling fish. I don't know what they were doing besides watching everyone, but they definitely weren't touristy looking, and all the other local teens are either helping at a stall or purchasing something. So, those three are likely scoping out possible targets to pickpocket, based on how they were scanning the crowd. Their eyes looked all shifty."

"That's a damn good start," he told her, "Even though you might not ever know the reasons why people are doing something, you're paying attention to what they're doing and that's good. Now, you wanna know what I saw?"

She nodded.

"I counted vantage points. Any place with easy access to a rooftop where someone could be watching. There are over a dozen already. I also scoped out escape routes off of the main street. I need to be prepared in case anything happens, I know we can get away from anything safely and quickly. I counted how many stalls there were, which owners were paying attention to their wares and which ones weren't. Also, I noted who was carrying a weapon of some kind."

He looked at her, "It's not something you would think to look for, or even know what you're looking at. It's in the way someone holds themselves, or, how their clothing falls in a particular way. You can tell when they've got a gun or something like it. It's very distinctive."

"I, um," she let out a long breath, "I think I get it, El. I just didn't realize how much you have to pay attention to on a daily basis."

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Yeah, well..."

He pulled her close to him so suddenly, she barely had time to gasp in surprise as a handful of children rushed by them.

"What was that?" she breathed.

"Just somethin' you gotta watch out for," he replied, giving her a brief kiss. "What do you say we get to that beach?"

"Yes, let's do that."

.~~~~~~~.

Over the next couple of days, Eliot tried to focus on Erin and the beach, the water, the local entertainment and the beautiful place that was Venice. But he was distracted by thoughts of the shadow he kept feeling around them. He could have sworn someone was following their every move, watching them. It could have been an actual threat, or it could have been the lack of sleep messing with his mind. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep since his nightmare episode with Erin. Regardless the reason for his worrying, they needed to move on, and quickly.

His mind was not only preoccupied with the paranoia of seemingly imminent danger, he was also making every attempt to push away the burning pain in his shoulder. His injured arm varied between throbbing with pain and being completely numb, but he hid it from Erin as best he was able. He wanted to enjoy this time with her, and, even more importantly, he wanted her to enjoy their vacation without worrying about him.

Soon enough, she was done at the beach, where he'd barely gotten into the water at all, a fact that Erin pointed out with a cute pout.

He just chuckled, steering her away from the beach and down the street. "I had just as much fun enjoying the view," he winked and she blushed.

"Ooooh, can we get coffee?" She asked, excitedly.

Her eyes were bright as she smiled and he couldn't help but cater to her wishes. It seemed to be a running theme these days and he wasn't sure if it was just her or if those damn emerald orbs actually had some kind of trance-like power.

They sat silently for several minutes as Erin enjoyed her coffee, Eliot constantly keeping an eye on their surroundings, per the usual.

"Erin, darlin'." He spoke up finally.

She looked up from her seat, one eyebrow raised.

"We should go to Marco's. Today."

She nodded, "Sounds good to me."

With a strained smile he stood, reaching for her hand, "You ready?"

"Yep," she gulped the last of her coffee and took his hand. "Let's go."

They took a different route back to the boat dock, Eliot leading them on a longer path through many side streets and back alleys.

"What's wrong, El?" Erin asked as they neared the docks.

"Nothin' in particular," he responded almost automatically, his blue eyes darting to and fro. After he helped Erin into their boat, he spoke quietly to the dock attendant in Italian, pressed money into the man's hand and nodded a 'thank you' before joining Erin on one of the benches as the boat moved away from the mainland.

.~~~~~~~.

Before the boat had even docked at the island completely, Eliot was out and on the dock, tying the rope and reaching for Erin's hand.

She looked up at him, as he helped her out of the boat, "So are we just going to get a room near Marco for a bit, then?"

"I'd rather not draw attention to him," Eliot said quietly, while they walked, "He's not exactly on the straight and narrow."

She faced him, "But, wouldn't it be better to stay closer to him in Rome then travel back and forth? It would be less suspicious, right? Wh-Why are you smiling like that?"

"You're learnin'."

She smirked, continuing with him into the hotel and back up to their room, "What can I say, I pick up fast."

"You're right, though," he sighed, "I'll find us a place to stay outside of Rome."

"You can always book a hotel in my name if you want to," she told him, "If that makes it safer."

He shook his head, "No, don't want to do that. I'll just use the same one I used here. It's an alias Hardison made for me."

"Oh," she narrowed her eyes at him, "How many of those do you have?"

"Too many," he laughed dryly, pulling out his phone, "I swear Hardison creates them just for kicks when he's bored," he smiled at her, "Go ahead and pack up your stuff, while I call a hotel in Rome."

Erin did just that, barely able to zip up her suitcase. She never was very good at repacking things. Placing her new hat on her head, she lugged her bag back into the main room. "I'm ready."

She watched him as he hung up the phone, picked up both their bags and looked around the room one last time before opening the door. As she passed him into the hallway, she brushed off a feeling of trepidation and took a deep breath. She knew there was more going on than he was telling her, but she also knew that it was intentional. She honestly probably didn't want to know all he was thinking.

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot frowned thoughtfully as he took in their room again. He'd already wanted to leave Venice as soon as possible, but he hadn't wanted to upset her and her grand ideas of the perfect vacation. But he knew it was a necessity.

Glancing back out the window, he saw the shadow was gone. Yes, it was definitely time to get the hell out of Dodge.

He followed Erin back down to the lobby where they checked out before going, yet again, to the docks. The boat was still there, waiting for them and Eliot helped Erin aboard, speaking to the boat man. He looked at Erin.

"You alright, darlin'?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, and he saw her frown slightly, "Yeah, just..."

"Nervous," he finished for her, taking her shaking hands in his as he knelt in front of her. "Try to relax, sweetheart," his thumb brushed circles on the back of her hand, "We'll be fine."

"I know," she replied, "I just don't like it when you're all paranoid."

"I promise it'll be okay," he assured her, "Now just sit back and enjoy the boat ride."

.~~~~~~~.

When the boat neared the coast, Erin frowned. It was a different dock than before, that much she realized.

"El?" She spoke his name quietly.

He didn't seem to hear her, but was standing next to her again, his eyes obviously scanning their surroundings. She knew he had to focus, that he was preoccupied, but she had so many questions for him. As the boat docked, Eliot tipped the boat man before again helping her out onto the dock.

She looked around, noticing that they appeared to be on the outskirts of the city, unlike the other dock which had been closer to the bustle of the city center. A taxi was waiting for them at the end of the dock where Eliot ushered her inside, taking a look around before joining her in the back seat and giving the driver directions in Italian.

He leaned back next to her, offering her a warm smile, "It's going to be a bit of a drive, you should rest." There was a subtle "while you can" in his statement and, as if on cue, she yawned, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You should too, you know," she murmured, the darkness of sleep overpowering her want to know what was happening and where exactly they might be going.

In her sleepy, dreaming state, she was vaguely aware that at some point they switched cabs, Eliot carrying her from one to the other. Her brain barely registered the trade off between the vehicles and she was sure that, somewhere in her dreams, she recalled Eliot having a lengthy conversation in Italian with the second cab driver. She, of course, had no idea what was being said, but it sounded important.

.~~~~~~~.

"Erin," Eliot's voice woke her, "We're nearly there, darlin'."

As the cab stopped and they stepped out, Erin took in the house in front of her. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just another single story Italian villa. A small flower garden decorated the front yard, with rosemary bushes and tall, narrow cedar-like trees which Eliot had told her were Italian Cypress. The early evening sun cast long shadows along the side of the house, making it appear perhaps a tad mysterious to her.

"Spencer!"

A man who looked to be around Eliot's age approached them, dirty blond hair pulled back into a short ponytail.

"Hey, Marco," Eliot smiled at his friend, "It's good to see you, man."

As Marco and Eliot embraced, Erin could see that Marco was taller than Eliot, but just as muscular. This wasn't what she'd expected.

"Been a while, mate," Marco stood back, looking over at Erin, "You must be Erin. Pleased to meet ya."

Erin managed a smile and a nod, "Nice to meet you, too."

Marco turned, waving them toward the house, "C'mon in, glad ya could pop around."

Erin stepped up next to Eliot as they followed Marco into his house.

"You look confused, darlin'," Eliot glanced at her.

Erin nodded, "I guess I am a little. I wasn't expecting this."

"Expecting what?"

"He's a lot younger than I thought he'd be, and I didn't know he'd have an accent," she paused, "Besides, I thought we were going to stay at a hotel."

"Yeah, you'll get used to him. He called while you were asleep in the cab," Eliot smiled, "He's a good guy."

Erin smiled back slightly, "I don't doubt it."

On the inside she was a little concerned. She knew nothing about this Marco, after all. Sure, she knew that Eliot knew him, had known him for a while apparently, but something about the man was off-putting to her. Almost as if he were hiding something, putting up a nice, clean front while keeping something dark from being noticed. She tried to shrug off the feeling, but it refused to leave the back of her mind.

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot followed Marco into the house, holding the door for Erin as Marco waved them in. "Welcome to my humble home. S'not much, but she works."

Nodding approvingly, Eliot looked around the main room. The sounds of trickling water came from off in one corner where a small fountain was built against the wall. The entire floor was a cool stone tile of some kind, which gave the house a cozy atmosphere. Off to one side was an arched doorway into the kitchen and opposite that was a short hallway which no doubt led to bedrooms. The only other main feature that caught Eliot's eye were the large double doors that took up almost the entirety of one wall. Mostly all glass with only a few inches of wooden framing, the doors revealed a neatly maintained and quite large backyard.

"Nice place you've got here, Marc," Eliot looked at his friend.

The Aussie smiled, "Thanks, mate. I'm still working on it."

"It's really… cozy," Erin spoke up, unsuccessfully hiding a yawn behind one hand.

"You two must be tired," Marco started down the hallway, "Your room's down here."

Eliot guided Erin after Marco, carrying their bags into the bedroom his friend pointed them toward. Marco smiled and left them alone and Eliot set the bags on the floor against one wall, putting an arm around Erin.

"You alright, sweetheart?" He asked her quietly. She had slept during the entire cab ride and still was obviously tired. Something about that seemed a little odd to him, but he couldn't be sure. They had been having an awful lot of fun late nights with little to no sleep. He smiled to himself at the thought.

"'m fine," Erin objected, yawning uncontrollably at this point.

He laughed, "Sure. Let's get you to bed." He directed her toward the bed, helping her to kick her shoes off and tucking her in. "Just rest, darlin'." He pressed his lips to her forehead, "I'll be in later."

Eliot quietly closed the door to the bedroom, making his way back down the hall to the main room. He liked this house. Erin had been right; it was definitely cozy and simple. He smiled. Very Marco.

"What're ya grinnin' about, mate?" Marco asked, stepping out of the kitchen and handing a glass of a light red liquid out to Eliot.

"Oh, just, this house," the hitter motioned around, "It's obvious that you live here, is all." He sipped the drink Marco had handed him and blinked. "Are you still brewing your own alcohol?"

Marco laughed. "'Course I am. Cheaper than going to the bottlo every day, as much as _I_ drink."

Eliot chuckled, shaking his head slightly. He stood in front of the glass doors, looking out at the backyard. "I'm serious, though, Marc. This is a nice place. Quiet. I like it."

"I figured," Marco stepped up next to him. "Great place to meditate, work on healing and get some good sleep." He winked at Eliot.

"Yeah, you picked up on that, huh?" Eliot glanced over, "I'm probably worse off than you think. You're my last resort and I don't know if even _you_ can help me."

"I gathered. Well, my expertise won't hurt. Don't worry, we'll get you sorted," he raised his glass, "Starting tomorrow."

Eliot laughed, clinking his glass against Marco's, "Tomorrow."


	4. Smile Like You Mean It

Chapter 4

Smile Like You Mean It

.~~~~~~~.

 _"You've got bones in your closet,  
_ _You've got ghosts in your town,  
_ _Ain't no doubt, yeah, they're gonna come out,  
_ _They're waiting for the sun to go down._

 _You can't hide from your demons,  
_ _Feel 'em all lurking around,  
_ _You're runnin' scared 'cause you know they're out there,  
_ _They're waiting for the sun to go down."_

-"Bones" Little Big Town

.~~~~~~~.

When Erin awoke the next morning, Eliot's side of the bed was empty, in fact, it was still made, as if he hadn't even come to bed at all. And she had been too exhausted last night to remember if he actually had joined her or not. Frowning, she got up, dressing slowly. She felt as though she was getting sick, her head hurt and her stomach was all in knots.

Absently, she wondered if she'd maybe eaten something that didn't sit well with her, or perhaps the change in climate from what she was used to. She wandered out to the main house, noting how quiet it was.

"Eliot?" she called his name, just loud enough for an echo to ring out.

Nothing.

That was when she saw movement through the side window. Approaching the back doors, she opened one and stepped outside. The backyard was neatly landscaped, everything more green than she had seen anywhere in a long time. Tall cypress trees lined the yard, making a natural fence alongside colorful shrubs that she didn't recognize. The patio she stood on was an intricate pattern of natural stones mixed with a few red and blue splashes here and there. A cedar lattice style pergola covered the patio, providing a little bit of protection against the elements.

But it wasn't even any of these things that had grabbed her attention. The morning sun illuminated Eliot and Marco as they moved slowly through exercises that she could only assume were related to some kind of martial arts. She stood, watching them as they gracefully moved, sweat glistening off both men in the sunlight. It was obvious that they had to use an immense amount of muscle control to do what they were doing.

Eliot's eyes were closed as he moved through the exercises and she saw his face contort briefly as his left arm reached upward. He and Marco came to a slow stop and both men's eyes opened.

"That's all for this morning, mate," Marco told him, "Time for breakfast, I think."

Eliot nodded, smiling at Erin as he approached her, "Did you sleep well, darlin'?" he asked, kissing her briefly.

She nodded, "Yeah, I feel like I'm getting sick or something, though. It's probably just the change in weather, or maybe something weird I ate," she paused, noting how he held his injured arm. He probably didn't even know that he was frowning, or that she had seen the pain on his face only a few minutes ago, "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

"I'll be fine, sweetheart," he kissed her forehead, "This is good. Trust me."

"If you say so," she made a face, "Go take a shower, you're all sweaty."

He laughed, "Fine. Marco's starting breakfast. Should be ready soon."

"Nothing sounds good to me, though. Maybe Marco can make me some tea or something?"

"Whatever you want, darlin'. He's good with that king of thing," Eliot leaned in to kiss her and she pushed him away.

"Shower first," she said.

"Fine," he chuckled, holding the door open for her.

She watched as he walked off to their room before turning toward the kitchen.

"How'd you sleep, love?" Marco smiled at her from behind the counter.

She smiled back, sitting on a barstool. "I slept okay. I don't feel that great this morning, though."

"Well," Marco looked at her for a moment, "Stomach? Headache? Nausea? Dizziness?"

"Everything but the dizziness."

He nodded, "I have a couple homemade herbal teas I can mix up for you."

"That sounds wonderful," she told him.

"I'll get right on that."

.~~~~~~~.

Eliot frowned to himself as he got into the shower. He felt better after the morning's exercise with Marco, even though his arm burned. A week or two of this and he'd be good as new. Mostly. It was actually Erin that concerned him most right now. She probably only had the beginnings of a cold, or a stomach bug of some kind, but he was still worried.

Quickly, he cleaned up and got dressed, heading back out to the kitchen.

"It's kind of a mix between meditation and Tai Chi, but with my own personal flair," Marco was telling Erin.

"But, what about the herbs and incense and stuff?" she asked.

"That's his hippy side coming out," Eliot chimed in, winking at Marco.

"Sure, Spencer," Marco chuckled, "If that's what you have to tell yourself, mate."

"You got breakfast done?" Eliot asked.

Marco nodded, passing him a plate of steaming eggs and vegetables. "The herbs have some amount of healing properties to them, Erin," the Aussie explained, "And the incense helps to calm the mind and focus the spirit."

Eliot shook his head, glancing at Erin, "See? Hippy."

"Nothing wrong with that, if it works." Marco smiled.

"You feeling better, darlin'?" the hitter asked, taking a seat next to Erin.

She nodded, holding up a mug with a smile, "A little bit, yeah. Marco made me some tea."

"Some of my "hippy shit"," Marco laughed, "Glad to hear it's working."

.~~~~~~~.

At some point in the afternoon, they discussed going to the local market. Eliot had informed Erin that Marco would be out on an errand for most of the evening and the hitter wanted to cook her a nice Italian dinner.

"I do love your cooking, El," Erin smiled at him, "But, can't we try the local food a bit, too?"

He sighed, smiling, "Alright. What are you in the mood for?"

"I don't know, surprise me?"

Shaking his head, he looked around at the local shops, most of which had tantalizing smells emanating from them, "There should be a nice little cafe right around here."

"Are you saying that as a general statement?" she looked up at him, "Or, have you been here before?"

"A little of both, I guess," he glanced at her, wondering at her question, "Why?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Were you here by yourself?"

"No," he answered quietly, frowning, "Does it matter?"

She was silent for a moment and he watched her.

"I was just wondering how many other girls you've shared this experience with," she finally said.

He turned quickly to face her, "The hell kind of statement is that?" he demanded, barely able to hold back the anger he felt rising within him, "It doesn't matter what I've done in the past. I'm with you now, Erin."

She nodded, glancing away.

"Sweetheart," he did his best to keep the angry edge out of his voice, "Look at me."

She did as he said, but wouldn't meet his eyes for more than a couple of seconds before looking away again.

"Erin," he spoke quietly, "You know I've had other girls. But the past is the past, darlin'. You're my girl now, so don't think about all that."

"For how long?" She murmured.

"What?"

"I'm your girl for how long?" she asked in a whisper, "I know you, El, I know how you are. You can never stay in one place for too long, or with one person, either."

He searched her face, his brow knit with concern and confusion, "Why are you asking me this, Erin? What's really going on?"

She sighed, looking up at him and he saw real concern in her eyes, "I love you, El, I do, but I just… you flirt with anything with breasts and you enjoy it. How am I supposed to know you won't ditch me for the next girl?"

This was definitely something he hadn't expected. A deep hot pain contracted within his chest. It was a feeling he wasn't used to and it hurt a lot more than he'd thought possible.

"I… Erin, how could you… Is _that_ what you really think of me?" he murmured, unable to keep the pained shock out of his voice, "Sure, I flirt with girls, I always have, but it doesn't mean anything. Yeah, the attention is nice, but they ain't worth my time. _You_ are," he stepped closer to her, forcing his voice to remain steady against the wave of unfamiliar emotions flooding through him, "I don't deserve someone as amazing as you and I sure as hell ain't gonna let go of the best thing that ever happened to me."

She breathed in shakily and nodded slowly, but offered no comment. And she still refused to look at him.

"Please, darlin', you've got to let the past go. I'm not like I used to be, no one is. I've got you and you're all I need," he offered a small smile and pulled her into a hug, "Please don't worry about any of that shit, it ain't worth your time or stress."

Taking a step back, he put a hand under her chin to look her in the eye, "If it really bothers you that much, just pinch me or somethin' if I'm outta line."

She smiled then, a glint in her eye, "So, you're saying I have your permission to pinch you if I think you might be flirting with someone else?"

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"You're in for it, Eliot Spencer," she smirked, "You'll be covered in bruises before the day is over."

He smiled and kissed her, "You got nothin' to worry about, sweetheart. Really."

She smiled back at him, nodding, "Okay."

"Is there anything else that's bothering you? Anything I need to know about?"

"No," she shook her head.

"If there is, just talk to me okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

"We have to be honest with each other, darlin'," he told her, taking her hand, "If we're gonna make this work right."

She fell in step with him and, as they continued down the street, he realized that her questions really concerned him. He knew they were pretty accurate - he _had_ always been a ladies' man - but the fact that she'd even thought and voiced those specific concerns bothered him. More than he'd thought possible.

"I don't really feel like going out to dinner anymore," Erin said quietly, "Can we just go back to Marco's?"

He nodded, "Sure, whatever you want."

They walked silently back through the streets toward Marco's house and Eliot noted how distant Erin seemed. Although she was still holding his hand, he felt her shying away from him. It bothered him. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. He'd promised her he wouldn't leave, told her he loved her….

Cursing under his breath, he glared at nothing in particular. He always had sucked at this relationship shit. He honestly wasn't even sure where to start with trying to figure out what he'd done wrong, or how he could fix it.

And she was silent. The entire walk back to Marco's she didn't way a word.

"I'm going to go rest," she stated quietly once they reached Marco's door.

He nodded, "Alright, I'll get you later for dinner."

She smiled weakly and walked off to their room.

"Trouble in paradise?" Marco stood in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen.

Eliot frowned. "Something like that."

Marco looked at him, brow furrowed slightly, "Does she know?"

"About your past with me?"

Marco nodded.

"Nope," Eliot replied, sitting down with a low grunt of pain, "She just knows you as an old friend."

Marco let out a relieved sigh, "Good. She doesn't need to know who I used to be."

"She already knows about me," Eliot told him.

Marco's eyebrows rose, "Everything?"

"Not all the dirty details, but enough."

A low whistle escaped Marco's lips, "And she still wants to be with you?"

"It surprised me, too," Eliot scratched at the back of his neck, "But I'm not so sure what she wants now."

As Marco sat across from him, Eliot saw something close to concern in his friend's eyes.

"Is that what all this is about?" Marco asked quietly.

Eliot shook his head, "No, well, not exactly."

"And vague Eliot has returned," Marco leaned back in his chair, a slight smile on his face, "There are no in-betweens on something like this, mate."

Glaring at his friend, Eliot offered no response.

"You know you have to talk to someone, Eliot," Marco said. He paused for a moment, "This about your history in general, or something more personal?"

"Personal," Eliot growled, "And I don't appreciate your interrogation, Marc."

Marco nodded, glancing away, "Well, if I remember correctly, the Eliot I used to know wouldn't let anything get in the way of the people he cared about," he looked back at Eliot, "Even his own "personal" issues and feelings on the matter."

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk," Eliot snapped, getting to his feet.

"Anytime," Marco stood with him, "I'm going to take a trip to the market, get some things we need for our next session, and for dinner," he smiled, "I'll take the long way and hopefully by the time I get back, you two will have this sorted."

Eliot turned his eyes from where he was staring out the window. "Thanks."

Marco just continued to smile, resting his hand briefly on Eliot's arm. "Don't thank me, Eliot. You know I owe you for so much."

"Yeah, I know," Eliot muttered, sighing as he turned toward the back door, "But thanks, just the same."

.~~~~~~~.

Sophie's phone ringing stirred her from staring absently into her early morning cup of coffee.

"Hello?"

 _"Sophie? It's Erin."_

Sophie smiled, "Erin. Nice to talk to you again. Good morning, oh, I guess it's afternoon for you, isn't it?"

 _"Oh, I'm so sorry, did I wake you?"_

"Not hardly," Sophie laughed, "I was already up. What's the matter?"

 _"I, um, I need some advice."_

"With Eliot I assume?"

 _"Yes. How well do you actually know him?"_

"As well as anyone can. He's a very private person."

 _"Oh, I'm well aware of that,"_ Erin sighed, _"I pretty much told him that I thought he'd leave me for another woman some day. I mean, I know how he is, how he's always been. He swears he's different now, but…"_

Sophie smiled, "But you're still worried that he hasn't changed at all."

 _"Exactly."_

"Erin, sweetie, no one knows Eliot better than you do. Honestly, if he's told you he loves you then I'd take him at his word and not worry about what used to be the norm for him."

There was silence for a moment and Sophie almost thought that Erin had hung up before the younger woman spoke again.

 _"Did he tell you that?"_

"Tell me what?"

 _"That he loved me."_

Ah, there it was, her fishing had paid off. "He didn't have to, dear. You know how he never says anything about his feelings. So if he's told you that, then it's proof that he's changed, for the better, I'd say."

 _"Thank you, Sophie."_ There was an obvious smile in Erin's voice.

"Don't mention it. You can call me anytime."

Sophie hung up, staring with a victorious smirk at her phone. This was certainly an interesting morning already.

Not five minutes later, her phone rang again.

"Hello?"

 _"Hey, Soph."_

She sat up straight, "Eliot! How are you?"

 _"Good. Listen, I need some input."_

"Let me guess. Erin?"

He sighed, and she could picture him running a hand through his hair, _"Yeah. I don't know what I'm supposed to do here. She asked me how long she'd be my girl, when - not even_ if _\- I'd leave her for someone else. I told her I'm never gonna let go of her and that she should stop thinkin' about the past 'cause it ain't worth the worry."_

"Did you actually answer her question, Eliot?"

 _"What?"_

"She asked you how long she'd be your girl. Did you give her a direct answer?"

 _"I, uh, I don't think I did, actually."_

"Well, then you should definitely do that," Sophie let out a long breath and sat back in her chair, "Eliot, you haven't had many real relationships. At least not by any conventional standards. Take it from someone who's been there. You're not used to having someone care so much that they feel they need to ask you how long you'll keep them around, or about your prior conquests."

He cleared his throat, _"I guess you're right, I hadn't thought about that."_

Sophie smiled, "She's not really used to anything stable, either, you know, and if you haven't changed like you've promised, she'll turn to fight or flight."

There was a pause, _"She called you before I did, didn't she?"_

Sophie laughed, "Yes, she did. She loves you, Eliot. She just needs reassurance that she hasn't put that love in the wrong hands. You can't hit your way through any relationship and no amount of sex, no matter how fantastic, will make up for an honest conversation."

The silence on the other end of the line made her grin. He cleared his throat again.

 _"Um, yeah…"_

"You two have been very busy then, I take it?"

 _"Dammit, Sophie, that's none of your business,"_ he growled, but she could tell by his voice that he was smiling, _"But, thanks."_

"Anytime, Eliot, dear," she smirked, "Now go enjoy yourselves. Italy is so beautiful this time of year."

 _"Wha-?"_

She hung up before he was able to get a full question out. Sighing contentedly, she picked up her coffee cup, a sly smile playing on her face. This was most definitely an interesting morning, but at least things seemed to be developing nicely on Eliot's end.

"Was that Eliot?"

Sophie looked behind her as Nate came down the stairs, tying his robe.

"Yes it was," she sipped her coffee, staring over the steam while Nate poured himself a cup and joined her at the table.

"Everything okay over there?" he asked.

She nodded. "Seems to be, as far as I can tell. He and Erin both just called me."

Nate's eyebrow rose, "To talk about each other."

"Mmm-hmm," she took another sip.

"I take it you were as helpful as they expected," he commented, a small smile growing on his face, "Honestly, I'm surprised they hadn't called sooner."

"Yes, well," she set her cup down and leaned forward, "Some people just need a little shove in the right direction from the help of a marvelous grifter."

.~~~~~~~.

Erin stared at the phone in her hands. She'd been sitting on the edge of the bed, in just that position for the past few minutes after hanging up with Sophie. The grifter was right. Erin did know Eliot best, or at least she'd known him the longest. He'd always been a bit of an enigma, even as a kid and especially where his personal life and thoughts were concerned. With a sigh, she stood from the bed and quietly opened the bedroom door.

The house was silent, except for the trickling sound from Marco's fountain in the living room. Frowning, she walked slowly through the main part of the house, checking in on the kitchen. Still nothing. Then she heard his voice from the garden outside. As she moved closer to the door, she caught what appeared to be the tail end of a conversation.

"What? Soph? The hell?"

"El?" Erin took a step outside the door. "Everything okay?"

Eliot's eyes snapped to hers and she saw a momentary anger flash, before they calmed and he smiled.

"Hey, darlin'," he slid his phone into his pocket, "Everything's fine."

She stood in the doorway, hugging herself against the cool evening breeze. "Good, that's good."

"I'm sorry, Erin," Eliot stepped closer to her, "I, uh, all this relationship stuff…" he sighed and glanced up at her, "Tell me what I'm doin' wrong."

"You're not doing anything wrong, El," she gave him a soft smile, reaching out to touch his face gently, "We both have issues that we need to get over."

Confusion filled his eyes, those bright blue orbs that allowed her a slight peek into his soul.

"You got nothin' on me, sweetheart," he whispered, "I've got so many damn problems and I let them get the better of me. I'm sorry for that."

She shook her head, "Stop apologizing. You were right earlier. The past is the past. I'm sorry I asked so much about it, because I realize it only brought you more pain."

He pulled her into his arms then, his eyes, filled with so many emotions, boring into her, "I love you, Erin. I don't think it's possible for you to understand just how much. I'd never leave you, or hurt you."

She heard his voice catch and he cleared his throat, glancing away for a moment before looking back at her. His eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"It was thoughts of you that got me through my stay in the hospital," he murmured, "Holding onto you was the only way I made it through all that… all that shit. And, darlin', I'll keep holding onto you until my dying day. So, please, don't ever think I'd walk away, I love you too much."

She smiled then, leaning up to kiss him. "I love you, too, El. So, so much."

He sighed and returned her kiss, holding her tightly to him. This whole situation from this afternoon reminded her just how much she needed him, and he needed her. She never wanted him to let her go.

"Lasagna for dinner?" he asked quietly.

She laughed, "That sounds delicious. You know I'm fine with whatever."

"You're always fine in my book, sweetheart."

Giggling at his smooth comeback, she followed as he led her inside and to their room.

"El, but what about Marco?"

"He's out at the market," he murmured, pulling her close to him and kissing at her neck. "Don't worry about it."

She opened her mouth to protest, but his teeth gently nipping her neck caused her to gasp instead. She realized that he had her completely under his control, as his lips made their way from her neck up to her ear. He laid her gently on the bed, kissing her deeply on the lips.

"E-Eliot..." she stammered his name, unable to say anything else.

With a knowing smile, he brushed hair from her face, "Stop worrying, darlin', I gotcha and I'm never letting go."

Her face heated up and her eyes fluttered closed on their own as he continued to kiss at her skin. She smiled and let her body give in to him.


End file.
